Christmas tree stand



1956 e. F. FARLEY ET AL 2,733,032

CHRISTMAS TREE STAND Filed 001;. 9, 1955 nggnnpnnnnnnnnnnw //J [F0] Mom1 5917227; F Ffir/Fy United States Patent Wis., assignors to Spincraft,'Inc.,.Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application October9, 1953, Serial "No. 385,149

.1 Claim. (Cl. 248-44) This invention relates to Christmas tree standsand refers more particularly to a .stand for supporting a Christmastree, flagpole or the like in an upright position andwhiehcomprisesaspun metal base.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensivestand for supporting a Christmas rtree, flagpole or the like in anupright position, which :stand .is readily adjustable to accommodate thevariations zinzdiameter and roundness which naturally exist between thetrunks of various Christmas trees.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of aninexpensive stand of the character described having a circular base ofsubstantial diameter, so as to afford a stable support for a Christmastree or flagpole, but which is nevertheless attractive in appearance,light in weight and readily adjustable to accommodate a Christmas treetrunk of any ordinary size and shape.

Still another object of this invention resides in the provision of aChristmas tree stand of the character described in whichprovision ismade for holding a supply of water at the base of the tree trunk toretard dehydration of the tree.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of aChristmas tree stand of the character described which may be so adjustedas to compensate for slight curvature in the trunk of a Christmas treeand to hold the tree as a whole in a substantially vertical position.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafterdescribed and more particularly defined by the appended claim, it beingunderstood that such changes in the precise embodiment of thehereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of theclaim.

The accompanying drawing illustrates two complete examples of thephysical embodiments of the invention constructed according to the bestmodes so far devised for the practical application of the principlesthereof, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a Christmas tree stand of thisinvention showing the bottom portion of the tree trunk in place therein;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the stand shown in Figure l;and

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing a modified embodimentof the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, the numeral5 designates generally a Christmas tree stand embodying this inventionand having the lower end portion of a Christmas tree trunk 6 secured inplace therein.

The stand comprises a unitary metal spinning shaped to provide a centralcuplike socket or well 7 in which is received the base of the tree orpole to be supported by the stand, and a concentric radially outerfrusto-conical skirt 8, the lower edge 9 of which forms the footing of Vbe fixed on the platform 2,733,032 Patented Jan. 31, 1956 the stand. Thesocket-is preferably substantially flowerpot shaped, that is, itsfrusto-conical side wall 10'diverges upwardly fromafiatbottom '11,and'the'diameter of the socket, at its top, is substantially largerthan'that of any Christmas tree trunk which would ordinarilybe receivedtherein. A radially outwardly extending flat rim 12 at the top of thesocket, integral therewith, serves as ajunction between the side wallofthe' socket and the 'top of the frusto-conical skirt 8, which flaresdownwardly from the rim. This rim 12 thus provides an annularflatplatform at the top of the stand.

The skirt may be ornamented by means of annular flutes or ridges 14extending circumferentially therearound, as in the Figures 1' and 2embodiment, or it may be plain, as in the Figure 3 embodimentg Toprovide the desired stability the lower edge of the skirt defines acircle of substantial diameter lying in aplane which "is level with, orslightly below, the bottom of the socket. Preferably, too,'thelower'edge of the skirt-is rolled, 'as at 15, to give it a smoothlyrounded surface which will not mar a polished floor upon which the standmay "be placed, and to also reinforce the skirt.

On the annular "flat 'platform provided by the rim 12 which forms =thejunction between thesocket portion of the base 'and the outer skirt, 'anumber of clamping screws 16 are threadedly mounted in positions tocooperate with one another in supporting a tree trunk in the socket inupright position. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, these screws are threadedin holes extending radially through an annular upright flange member 18which is preferably spot welded or otherwise secured to the platform 12spinning, but if desired, individual lugs 18' may 12 to mount thescrews, as shown in Figure 3. In either event, the member or members inwhich the screws are mounted should be fairly thick, so as to aifordgood purchase for the threads of the screws, but since this support forthe clamping screws, as shown, lies between the inner and outer edges ofthe platform 12, the jaw formed by the inner ends of the screws may beopened to the full diameter of the top of the socket.

Thescrews are preferably three in number, and have large heads 19, onthe order of wing bolts or (as shown) eye bolts, to facilitate theirmanual manipulation. The screws are mounted with their axessubstantially radial to the axis of the stand, so that as they arethreaded into the holes in which they are mounted their inner ends willconverge toward one another and toward the tree trunk in the socket, andbeing quite long their inner ends thus can be brought into closejuxtaposition. Accordingly a wide range of tree trunk diameters isaccommodated.

At the bottom of the socket is an upwardly projecting spur 20. This maybe formed as a separate sheet metal part 21 having sharp cornered,upwardly projecting tangs, as shown in Figure 2, or may be integral withthe bottom of the well and bumped upwardly therefrom, as shown at 20' inFigure 3. In either event, when the lower part of a tree trunk is set orstepped into the socket, the bottom of the trunk rests on the spur. Theweight of the tree causes the spur to bite into the wood of the trunk,precluding lateral displacement of the tree trunk in the well, and thescrews cooperate with the trunk and with one another to steady andfirmly hold the trunk on top of the spur.

It will be apparent that the three screws not only provide for readyinsertion and removal of a tree trunk of any ordinary size into thesocket, but also enable the tree, generally, to be held in an uprightposition, despite any slight curvature of the bottom portion of itstrunk, because the screws are readily adjustable to hold the lowerportion of the trunk cccentrically to the axis of the stand.

It will also be apparent that the socket portion of the stand can bekept filled with water to prevent too rapid dehydration of the tree, andbecause the metal spinning which forms the base is of unitaryconstruction there will be no danger that such water might leak out of aseam in the socket. 7

From the foregoing description, taken together with the accompanyingdrawing, it will be apparent that this invention provides an attractiveand inexpensive stand for supporting a Christmas tree, flagpole, or thelike in upright position, and that the stand of this invention providesan unusually stable support and is easily adjusted to accommodate it tothe upright to be supported therein.

What we claim as our invention is:

A Christmas tree stand comprising: a unitary spun metal base having anupwardly tapering substantially izrusto-conical circular skirt, the freelower edge of which provides a stable footing for the stand, a socketportion concentrically disposed inside the skirt, said socket portionopening upwardly but tapering downwardly to receive the lower endportion of a Christmas tree trunk, the upper open end of the socketportion being considerably larger than the largest diameter tree trunkfor which the stand is designed, said base also having a substantiallywide annular flat platform at its top integrally joined to the upperlarge diameter end of the socket portion and the upper small diameterend of the skirt; an upwardly projecting spur on the bottom of thesocket portion upon which the bottom of a tree'ftrunk in the socket mayrest and which bites into the bottom of the tree trunk to preventlateral displacement thereof; upright flange means solidly fixed to andprojecting from the platform, said flange means lying between the innerand outer edges of the annular platform and having threaded holestherethrough radially of the axis of the circular skirt; and clampingscrews threaded in said holes so that the radially inwardly facing endsof the clamping screws may be brought solidly against the side of a treetrunk stepped into the socket of the base and thereby cooperate with thespur in holding the tree firmly upright, said clamping screws being longenough to permit their inwardly facing ends to be brought into closejuxtaposition so that the stand accommodates a wide range of tree trunkdiameters.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,805,649 Wermine May 19, 1931 1,846,891 Miller Feb. 23, 1932 1,855,762Kaninski Apr. 26, 1932 2,044,192 Templin, Jr. June 16, 1936 2,613,899Wagner et a1. Oct. 14, 1952

